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Origin and history

The former town hall of Galan, built in 1820 by the departmental architect Artigala, illustrates the civil architecture of the early nineteenth century. This hybrid building houses on the ground floor a public hall, bounded by wooden or stone pillars connected by wooden hangers. Space was intended for commercial and social activities, typical of the bastides of the region.

Upstairs, the town hall itself includes the archives room, the meeting rooms, as well as the registry and justice of the peace. These rooms, served by a corridor leading to an east gallery, open onto it by three windows, the centre of which is surmounted by a triangular wooden pediment. Access to the floor is via a staircase backed by the north wall.

The building, inscribed with historical monuments on October 11, 1984, is located Place de la Bastide, in the heart of Galan, near the church Saint-Julien. Its protection specifically concerns the hall of the ground floor, the facades with balconies, and the roofs of the town hall upstairs. Owned by the municipality, it bears witness to the administrative and social organization of the small rural towns under the Restoration.

The dual design of the building reflects an ancient tradition in south-western France, where the covered halls served as a market and gathering place, while the floors welcomed local institutions. The use of materials such as wood for hangers and pillars, combined with stone for angles, highlights craftsmanship adapted to local resources.

The architect Artigala, the project manager, has integrated classical elements such as the triangular pediment, while respecting the functional constraints of a versatile public space. The central location of the building, on a square named the Twelve Consuls or the Bastide according to the sources, reinforces its role as a focal point in Galan's community life.

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